TBLT: Four Becomes Five
by RadRapo
Summary: Just as the Master and his family show up and unpack for the Summer, they leave again, for the City. They're going to the Mall, but for what reason? TV tells them that it's to bring in someone new, and yet this unsettles the cottage appliances to their core... Some of them, anyway. All they can wonder is: What would this new companion be like? (Timeline: Pre-TBLT.)
1. Sit A Bit, Settle In

_**Four Becomes Five**_  
_Written by RadRapo_

_Part 1/2: Sit A Bit, Settle In_

"And just _where_ are they going?" Radio questioned, pointing his antenna to the window inquisitively. The others were quick to follow, gazing out for themselves.

"I don't think I caught that," Toaster admitted, but in thought, "Although, it's not like them to, I'm pretty sure."

"But they just _got _here!" Blanky cried, distraught, "Did we do something wrong? Do they hate us?!"

"They probably just forgot something, that's all!" Kirby reasoned, in a gruff tone, "Look! They haven't packed up anything."

"Then why are they _all_ going?" Toaster wondered, "Surely if that's the case, they don't need everyone!"

"Oh, calm down, you low watts," Finally spoke Air Conditioner. "They're just going to the store. Not a big deal. They'll be back before you know it."

"They have plenty of food, though!" Toaster said back, not believing it at first.

"... Not _that_ kind of store, Toaster. Jeez."

"Oh, yeah?" Radio challenged, hopping off the windowsill to face AC, "Then what kinda "store" are we talking about?!" Before AC could answer, another of the appliances joined the group, one more beloved.

"You fellas haven't heard the news?" TV began, his on-screen persona displaying a portly man in his thirties, "They're off to the Mall in the City! Looks like our Master's become quite the bookworm!"

"... We _have_ books," Radio dismissed, sounding rather disappointed. "What more does he need, a library? Sheesh…"

"Believe me, they wouldn't go to the Mall for some books, Loudmouth!" TV laughed it off, before starting again, matching his words with imagery, "No, see, the Master likes to read anytime! Even at night, when it's _dark_." He was really trying to get them to figure it out on their own.

"... Why not use the ceiling light?" Blanky bravely asked.

"I don't know, too much on the little guy?" TV shrugged, finding that his tactics weren't working. He was going to have to be more obvious. He changed the scene to where his persona stood next to a pedestal, an object upon it, but covered in a sheet. "So, their alternative is: to go to the Mall, to bring in one of THESE!" At his last word, he unveiled the object, revealing a generic lamp of some kind.

At last, there was an outcry of a reaction, although Kirby's was far more muted compared to the sheer panic Blanky, Toaster and Radio were experiencing in various degrees. AC rolled his eyes knowingly, shaking side to side in a means of disapproval.

"Why must they get like this _every time?_" He muttered under his breath.

* * *

It was a few hours later, and the more vocal reactors of the news still didn't feel prepared for who, or _what,_ would be joining their company. While unable to envision different lamp models, they could certainly see different personality possibilities.

"I hope it's nice…" Blanky pleaded quietly.

"I hope it's not pompous," Radio couldn't help but jeer.

"I hope it's not obnoxious," Kirby grumbled, though halfheartedly.

"Well I'm sure that, no matter what, he… She… It," Toaster conceded, trying to sound sure of himself all the same, "Will _at least_ be reasonable." He paused for a moment. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen? There's plenty of us and only one of… Them."

"You guys act like it's gonna come and take your places," AC tried to sound unamused, but failed. "Are you listening to yourselves? Could a lamp toast bread? Play music? Clean the floor? Keep someone warm? C'mon, get real. Especially you, Kirby; I thought you were better than this by now." All Kirby could do was huff and look away.

"Maybe if they… If they…" Toaster tried to refute, but wasn't able to form a solid argument. Just as he'd hopefully found something, Blanky heard the car approaching.

"They're back!" He yelled. Without hesitation, everyone went back to their spots, freezing. Internally, they (or at least, some of them) shivered in anticipation.

Sure enough, not long later did they hear the return of the Master and his parents, all sounding quite satisfied with their purchase. Sounds of cutting open a cardboard box, the shuffling around of a styrofoam mold, and ejection of an electronic were all heard by the appliances.

The moment the family went upstairs, they unfroze, crowding around the box that was left behind. Like most boxes that would house a store-bought appliance, it used photographic art displaying the appearance of one. In this case, what they saw was a brass, bell-shaded gooseneck lamp, most likely built for desks and such.

"It doesn't…" Blanky spoke, though quietly to not attract the attention of the family, "Look all that scary. I wonder if it likes hugs..."

"Just have to wait and see," Radio mused to himself, having an unusual guarded demeanor, "It'll surely show it's true colors soon."

"Well, you never know," Toaster replied, having realized something, "With any luck, _they_ might not end up like us - never waking up."

"Of course it'll wake up, eventually!" TV had to add, though brushing off their words, "But I know we're all gonna be fine. Remember when Toaster came along? How you all were in a tizzy about him?"

Toaster gasped, somewhat offended. "They _were?!_"

"Just imagine what that lamp might be feeling like," TV continued, crossing his avatar's arms, "Not so nice, now is it?" Toaster's expression turned guilty.

"You're right, it isn't…" He admitted. He turned to the others. "You guys really…? From a little toaster like _me?_" His responses were just as guilty, barely carrying a cohesive statement. Toaster sighed.

"Well, TV's right; we need a new approach to this," He said again, this time more certain. He promptly pushed the box over to its side, jumping on top of it.

"I say that whoever is up there-" He pointed his lever to the stairs, toward the second floor, "-Should be given a warm, toasty welcome. Besides, what's better than a good first impression?"

"Maybe it'll be nice," Blanky thought about this, before turning hopeful, "If we're nice to it first! I like that idea!"

"I suppose it's worth a shot," Radio commented in hesitation, then adding in a low tone, "At least if anything happens, we'll have an alibi…"

"I heard that!" Toaster gave Radio a dark look, "I don't want to hear another word of doubt from any of you… Including myself. It's not fair to our new companion, and it's not fair to the Master!"

"Finally, one of you is speaking sense again," AC mused.

"Air Conditioner, with all due respect," Toaster's retort came fast this time, "Shut up."

AC was stunned, but did so anyway with an irate expression.

* * *

When night came, the appliances were in their rightful places, while the family had gone to sleep. When the coast was clear, Toaster unfroze and, while giving a small goodbye pat at the breadbox with a whispered "I'll be back", he leapt down from his countertop. He pursued the stairs, having little issue climbing them to the second floor.

Very carefully did he open the door to the Master's room, just enough so that he could see inside. Unsurprisingly, he found Radio and Blanky out of their spots, both gazing upon the newcomer lamp sitting upon the Master's nightstand.

Less importantly, the Master had dozed off from reading, leaving the lamp still switched on. Most importantly, the lamp itself hadn't woken up.

"Anything?" Toaster whispered to the other two. Both shook in a 'no'. "Maybe we're being a bit too eager about this. I don't think any appliance can wake up this quickly…" The other two, Blanky moreso, seemed to agree.

"Yeah, let's give it time," Blanky whispered back, with a smile, "It'll wake up to say hello when it's ready to."

"Right…" Toaster nodded, before bidding the two goodnight and leaving to return to his post.

That night turned to days, which then turned to weeks. As time passed, slowly they began to lose hope that the lamp would wake up at all, fated to being alike to some other appliances in the cottage. By this point, it was less relief and more sadness. As a result, they checked in on it less and less, until finally, they stopped altogether.

"Maybe if we hadn't been so judgmental, they would've…" Toaster mused to himself from his counter, regrettably. "I can only imagine how _I_ toughed through it…"

Another night came, another night spent with the Master falling asleep while reading something. In the same room, Blanky and Radio slept in their spots, the former as the Master's additional blanket, the latter across the room on a dresser. They'd grown accustomed to the Master's behavior, so the ever-present light of the lamp at night did little to ruin their forty winks.

It was here when, after a while, Blanky awoke, unsure as to why at first.

"But I _always_ sleep well…" He whispered to himself, before realizing how dark the room was. Glancing over to the nightstand, the lamp that had been placed there almost a month ago was gone. He nearly gasped in realization. As carefully as he could, he left the bed, going over to where Radio was, trying to wake him.

"Hnn, what is it? Don't you know what time it-" Radio started in his low volume, before looking over to where Blanky pointed, stopping entirely. "Oh my God."

The two started a somewhat frantic search through the second floor. Unknownst to them, downstairs was the lamp, who had already explored the rooms above. Currently, he was taking note of the main room's surroundings, using his light to find his way around. He'd poke and prod at various things with his prongs, all in the sake of curiosity.

From the continual change in the light's direction, AC found himself awakening.

"Hey," He spoke out towards the source, the contrast not letting him see the figure of the aforementioned, "Could ya cool it with that light? I'm tryin' to sleep." For a moment, he grimaced as the light came directly at him, before shutting off.

"Sorry about that!" Came a casual call, before a few hops were heard, followed by what sounded like falling over with a yelp. "Oh, I didn't think that one through… How am I going to see?" From this, AC realized something.

"Say, you're that lamp they wouldn't shut up about," He coolly said with a small laugh, "They started to think you weren't going to wake up. But look at that, you pulled through!"

"I don't know exactly what you mean by that, exactly," The lamp replied, getting up again, "But thanks, I think! Now, I'm off to continue my task… And hopefully not trip again."

"And what task would that be, I wonder?" AC asked, though in sarcasm.

"Looking around, of course!" The lamp had taken him seriously, "Haven't you ever wondered about your surroundings?"

"No," AC spoke dryly. To this, the lamp merely chuckled.

"You're weird, Mr… Ah…"

"Air Conditioner."

"Right! Well, I'm off, Mr. Air Conditioner! Sleep well!" To this, AC raised a vent-brow in the lamp's general direction, before calling it good and trying to resume sleep.

In the same room, TV and Kirby had heard the conversation, though the former had decided to not intervene, in order to not overwhelm the lamp. The latter simply peeked from the slightly ajar closet door. He didn't want to be seen talking to that… Thing.

* * *

Onwards into the kitchen, slowly the lamp had been able to adjust to the darkness, taking in the sight of the new location with as much wonder as everywhere else before. He noticed a sink and cringed, remembering the way the one in the upstairs bathroom functioned. He quickly ignored it.

When on the counter, he nosed around until he saw Toaster. He approached and stood right in front of him, gazing into his chrome, only to see his reflection. It reminded him of the mirrors. Before he could wave to himself, Toaster stirred, unfreezing as he awoke.

From the face directly in front of him, he let out a startled gasp. In turn, the lamp jumped backward in reflex, finding himself plummeting to the floor. Once Toaster collected himself, he came over to the edge, finding the dazed lamp right below. All at once, Toaster understood.

"It's you!" He leapt after the lamp, his joy making him unable to resist embracing him by the gooseneck for a moment, to the bewilderment of the recipient. "It's you! You're here! You're awake! Oh, thank goodness! Wait…" He promptly let go, before starting again, giving the lamp some space.

"Has anyone else seen you yet? Please tell me I'm not the last to know." At last, the lamp overcame his confusion, finding his voice again.

"I don't think so?" He began, "Gosh, Mr. Air Conditioner wasn't joking about what he said. Is me… "Waking up"," he paused, using his prongs to air quote, "Really that world-shattering?"

"It's just that," Toaster went to reply, though found it in himself to settle down, "You've been here for almost a month, and this is the first time you've… You've, uh..." He struggled to explain it. Then, he recalled something the lamp had said. ""Mr." Air Conditioner?"

"Yeah!" The lamp nodded, forgetting about the rest, "Have you not met him? He's a little weird, but also a funny guy!"

"Oh no, I know him," Toaster deterred, before continuing, "Oh! By the way, I'm Toaster! It's nice to finally meet you!"

"Hello, Mr. Toaster!" The lamp gave a small wave with his plug.

"No no, it's just Toaster."

"Okay, Just Toaster!" Toaster made a face, before heaving a sigh.

"Let's… Try this again..."

Not long after Toaster managed to get his name through the lamp's head, he was about to ask about the lamp's name, but was interrupted. Zooming down the stairs' banister came Radio and Blanky, who made sure the former didn't fall. After floating to the floor, the two began to search the main room.

Toaster and the lamp looked on at first, before Toaster asked them with a controlled volume, "What're you two _doing?_"

"What's it _look_ like we're doing, Slots?" Radio chimed in immediately, "We're trying to find the lamp- Oh." He and Blanky both stopped when they noticed the very thing they'd been looking for all long was next to Toaster.

""Slots"?" The lamp asked Toaster, confused, "But didn't you just say that-"

"I'll explain later," Toaster groaned, as Blanky and Radio approached. From here, the lamp got to know their names as well, Blanky relieved that he seemed friendly, though Radio still had a somewhat defensive stance when all was said and done.

From everything going on, finally did Kirby have a feasible excuse to go see the newcomer, coming out of the closet with an irritated-sounding "What's with all the racket? Are you trying to wake up the Masters and Mistress?"

Intimidated, the lamp dove to hide behind Toaster, peeking out from the side and lowering himself.

"Oh, it's awake, I see," Kirby started again, "Of course it had to be in the middle of the night." A moment after, he did what none of the rest had managed to do, pointing his prongs at the lamp. "Who are you, anyway?"

The voice that had come out of the lamp in response was too quiet to hear. All they got out of it was "-Sir."

"What?"

The lamp forced himself to speak up, to the best of his ability given his terror. "I-I'm… I'm Lampy, sir. I don't mean to… Uh, cause any trouble..."

"Oh, lay off of him, Kirby!" Toaster flung his levers at the vacuum, "He didn't know any better! I mean, I wouldn't have either!" While undeterred, Kirby moved a foot back. Toward Lampy, Toaster lowered his voice. "It's okay, Lampy. That's just Kirby. He's always like this, but he won't hurt you."

"And you're sure about that?" Lampy said back.

"Yeah!" Blanky chimed in, "He may _seem_ like a grouch, but if you get to know him, he's actually a big softie!" Kirby let out a huff, before turning away entirely.

"I'm not an _anything,_" He said, "I'm going back to sleep. If they find you out of place, it's not my problem." As he disappeared back into his closet, Lampy finally came out of hiding.

"What does he mean by that?" He found his confidence slowly returning. "Masters? Mistress? Finding us out of place?"

"Well, you see-..." Radio had begun to explain, before it sunk in, "You really have no idea, do you?" Lampy shook his head, genuinely lost. "Oh, boy…" He was going to start again, but heard something. "Uh oh. Someone's coming." The appliances, aside from Lampy, began to panic.

"And only Toaster's supposed to be here! We have to hide!" Blanky gasped. Afterwards, Toaster leapt to his counter, while Blanky and Radio both went somewhere non-suspicious - Blanky hiding in the chair of the main room, and Radio deciding on a shelf in the same area. Lampy was left alone.

"Hey, what does all this mean?!" He called out.

"It means we have to freeze!" Toaster uttered, before doing so himself. From this, Lampy seemed to understand, nodding.

"Oh, okay!" Promptly, he froze, but fell to his side with a _thunk_. Internally, Toaster cringed.

_He didn't just… Freeze in the middle of the floor, did he? _He heard Radio.

_Yup…_ Toaster replied.

_That naive son of a gun… I got an idea. _As one of the family members, the Mistress, came down the steps, Radio suddenly started playing a drama, to disguise what had been really going down. The Mistress noticed, going over to him, mystified.

_Quick, Blanky, while she's distracted!_ _Take Lampy back upstairs! _Toaster said. To his relief, Blanky wasted no time, unfreezing and crawling over to Lampy. He tried to get him to unfreeze, but to no avail. Instead, Blanky started carrying him up the stairs while the Mistress fiddled with Radio until he finally shut off.

Meanwhile, internally, Kirby was having a hearty laugh from in his closet. TV was amazed by the sight. AC wasn't surprised.

When upstairs, Blanky placed Lampy back in his spot on the nightstand, switching him on, and lay upon the bed of the Master, proceeding to freeze.

_We're saved!_ He announced.

_Oh, that's a relief, _Toaster was heard, _Radio, that was very risky. But… I'm glad you did it._

_And how!_ Radio added, _Let's hope no more trouble comes our way, because I'm going back to sleep!_

_I like that idea… _Toaster admitted, _Goodnight everyone._ After some goodnight responses, he turned in.

Meanwhile, after minutes of silence, Lampy unfroze, confused as to where he was. He vaguely recalled being carried, but that was about it. "I really should pay more attention," He whispered to himself.

Not long after, he spotted Radio entering the room, having made sure it was safe. Noticing Lampy unfrozen, he looked up towards him and muttered, "Never again. Next time, you're on your own.".

"I don't think I understand, Radio," Lampy began to inquire, fortunately still in a low volume, "What happened? What did I do wrong? I froze, like Toaster said to!"

"Alright, I'll give you that much," Radio relented, managing to hop on top of the dresser, "Listen. As appliances, we have our designated... "Spots". When Humans come around, like the Masters and Mistress, we are to be frozen at those spots. We can't afford to confuse them too much by, say, randomly being found in the middle of the floor."

"Okay, I think I get it!" Lampy nodded, understanding, "But why do we need to be frozen? Why can't we say hello to them?"

"... Yikes," Radio drooped at first, "I don't think I've _ever_ heard a question like that before. You've got a lot to learn, kid."

"Then, teach me!" Radio emitted a sigh. Luckily for him, Blanky had been overhearing everything, and unfroze to speak up.

"It's against the rules," He said, though wasn't happy to admit it, "Believe me, I've wished that I could stay unfrozen around the Master, but we just can't. The Humans would get scared!"

"But we wouldn't hurt them," Lampy reasoned.

"It doesn't matter," Radio added, "What they don't understand, they fear. And before you mention "helping them understand", that sort of thing just won't fly. They aren't like you, and they aren't like us. They... Won't _want_ to understand."

"That's a shame..." Lampy lamented, but didn't push further than that. Eventually, they bid each other goodnight, and settled down to sleep at long last.

Except, Lampy wasn't tired. Although grasping that night was for sleeping, he found himself still quite energized; it was most likely a side-effect of awakening at this time. Having learned his lesson, he dared not to leave the room, instead switching himself off and sinking into his thoughts. Whenever he noticed the Master shifting position, his new instinct was to freeze.

This kept up for hours.


	2. And It's Just About To Begin

_Part 2/2: And It's Just About To Begin_

"Hey, fellas, where're they going?" Lampy asked the others, in worry.

Through the time spent at the cottage, he had gotten to know the resident appliances, as well as, indirectly, the family that resided. He'd grown accustomed to their likenesses, settled into his role, and was able to get along with others. While Kirby still intimidated him at times, he was slowly overcoming that. Even Radio started to warm up to him; not that it bothered Lampy, since it seemed that tones akin to sarcasm and insincerity were lost on him.

Around his second month awake, he'd experienced his very first bulb burn-out. Though, that's a story for another day.

Today was Labor Day, possibly the most infamous day of the year for the appliances. Around them, they saw the family pack up their belongings into suitcases, and file them out to the car outside. While almost all of them knew what this meant, it was needless to say that Lampy started to panic.

Only when the hustle and bustle settled, the small appliances managed to take a look through the window, as the family packed in their cargo. From there, the conversation had started.

"They're leaving for the City," Radio mused, admittedly forlorn.

"But... But..." Lampy stammered, shifting his gaze around to find some sort of counterpoint, "But they love it here, right? Why would they leave?!"

"Well, they only come here for the Summer," Toaster tried to coax, "The rest of the year, they spend their days out in the City."

"Oh, so they'll come back?" Lampy's tone became hopeful.

"Yes, they will!" Blanky assured, even though he too didn't like the wait to come, "Next year."

"Phew..." Lampy relaxed at last, before he had another question, "Wait, how long is that?"

"Nine months," Radio answered. "For reference, you've been awake for over two, now."

"... Wow, that's... That's a _while_ from now!" The rest nodded in unison. A few moments passed.

"I'm... A bit surprised, actually," Toaster spoke again, "That they're not taking you along. The Master got really attached to you."

"Why can't we all go?" Lampy wondered, while thinking about it, "Wouldn't it just... Make more sense that way?"

"The way I see it," Kirby answered, though in his usual demeanor, "Our place is here at the cottage. They probably have a toaster, lamps, a _vacuum_..." He grumbled that last one, "Out in the City."

"Besides," TV chimed in, approaching from his spot, "We're accustomed to this way of living! Can you imagine them trying to be in our shoes, carrying on in such a quiet place like this, through the rest of the year? They wouldn't last a _week!_" Even AC had to laugh at that, although he was across the room.

"Imagine being unable to go _anywhere,_" He included, "And year-round, your only company consists of a bunch of electronic nutjobs, pretending to make toast and cleaning a floor that can't get dirty. Except, now there's a new nutjob who'll freeze in the middle of the floor and have a meltdown every time his bulb needs changed."

"Hey, those've only happened once!" For the first time, Lampy had a retort. "I've gotten better since then."

"And grew a spine, I guess," AC spoke, somewhat mockingly. Before any further discourse could be made, Radio spoke up, to change the subject.

"Hey, Lampy, look on the bright side!"

"Oh, I love looking on the bright side!" Radio had intended to continue his thought, but Lampy interjected in glee. Radio let this slide.

"Now that the Master is leaving for the year," He then continued, "We'll have the whole place to ourselves! No more freezing, no more hiding, and no more being silent! We can do whatever we want, _whenever_ we want! Think of it like uh... Like, uh..."

"A vacation?" Lampy proposed.

"That's it!" Radio hopped in approval, "An extended one, at that! We'll be running around all over this place!"

"Oh, boy, that sounds... Positively swell!" Lampy was starting to join in, "When does it start? When?!" Through all this, Toaster had begun to laugh, in an innocent way.

"Just as soon as they leave," He responded, playing along. Almost immediately, they saw Lampy hop off in a speedy pace, collecting items and furniture. Bewildered, all they could do was watch him construct some sort of tower that aimed for the attic's door in the ceiling.

"What's gotten into him?" Blanky spoke, concerned.

"I have no idea!" Toaster's response matched Blanky's tone. "And yet, I'm too intrigued to stop him..." He then saw Kirby start to rove over to Lampy. "Kirby, wait!"

Toaster was not listened to, as the others looked on while Lampy was interrogated.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh!" Lampy jumped from the somewhat hostility, but was too motivated to be deterred even by Kirby, "It's just that... I want to find the highest view possible, and I have a hunch that door up there-" He briefly paused to point at the attic door, "Will lead me right to it!"

"Are you _insane?!_"

"No!" Lampy's answer was blunt, still too invested to think anything of it, "See, I'm too small and can't jump high enough on my own, so I was thinking... If I had just enough height, I could reach over and see what's inside!" With that, Lampy started to ascend his rudimentary tower, only to feel tugged down by Kirby's cord, of which wrapped around the lowest point of his gooseneck. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Keeping _you_ from doing anything stupid!" Kirby's tone was stern, "Lamps aren't made for climbing!" Lampy was stunned, then glared down at Kirby, thoroughly offended. Gripping a portion of the tower with his teeth, he released his cord and used his prongs to attempt unwinding Kirby's from his body.

"Oh, like you know _anything_ about lamps!" He grunted, the words a tad distorted in the process, "Now let go of me this instant! Let go!" Kirby didn't expect such fighting words, but refused, at least until he saw the others come forward, towards the tower.

"C'mon, Chrome-dome!" Radio spoke up, waving his antenna around in a spazzing manner, "Give him a chance! I believe he's got something!"

"But what if it's dark and scary up there...?" Blanky couldn't help but to object.

"Well, we won't know until we find out!" TV added with conviction, before turning to Kirby, "Let ol' Goldie go. What's the worst that can happen?"

"The worst that can happen?!" Kirby nearly bellowed, "He falls with this unstable pile of junk, getting buried and crushed to death in it! Just think of what... What the Master would think!"

"Oh, _please,_" TV crossed his persona's arms, before displaying a cabinet and pulling out papers from it. "I know his model anywhere! Have you even _seen_ their durability tests? Those suckers are built to _last!_" From all this, Lampy had been listening, letting go of the portion he'd bit into in surprise.

"Wait, really?!" He asked in excitement, before realizing his mistake too late and falling back down to the floor. It hadn't been Kirby's grip upon him, which had weakened, but rather his own lost balance. While most of them were concerned for Lampy's well-being, TV however felt a point was proven.

"Really," Was all he said, in complete certainty. Lampy got up, glowing in a metaphorical way.

"Wow!" He gushed a bit, "I'm _durable!_"

"In any case," Toaster finally added, having understood where Lampy had been going with this scheme. "How about we try this again, but together?" Lampy thought about this for a moment, before he nodded in approval.

"That's a great idea!" Was his reply, "Some help would make this easier!"

"You're _all_ insane..." Kirby huffed. Lampy merely waved his plug in dismissal.

"Oh, hush," He said, standing up to Kirby a second time, "You can stay grounded all you like, but _I'm_ not giving up until I find out. Or, rather, _we_ find out!"

* * *

As it turned out, the additional height given by the agreeing appliances helped give just enough leeway to allow Lampy to reach the attic door with his cord. Once open, the only thing now was to get inside. It was still too high up to simply climb in, even with the combined efforts of TV, Toaster, Radio, and Blanky, and Lampy wasn't going to be able to pull himself in by his own cord. Kirby, true to his opinion, had remained on the floor, but deep down stayed around just to keep an eye on them.

"We probably could've made this work if we had Air Conditioner too, probably," Lampy mused aloud.

"For the last time: _No,_" Was AC's quick response. He was promptly ignored.

"Wait, I got an idea!" Toaster called, "Quick, rearrange so I'm right below Lampy!" Carefully, from on top of TV, Radio and Blanky did as instructed.

"What're you thinking?" Lampy asked, genuinely.

"Get on my lever," Toaster replied, "I'll propel you up there!" Getting the idea, Lampy sat his base upon one of Toaster's levers. "Ready?" When Lampy nodded with a look of determination, Toaster lowered his lever into its "Toasting" position. Immediately he released, causing the lever to shoot to the top of the slider, sending Lampy flying through the attic doorway.

They heard a few _thunk_ sounds from inside. Toaster couldn't help but give an uneasy look.

"You okay up there?" He called, before lowering his voice, "I really hope I didn't overdo it..." Toaster, as well as the others, looked on in relief when they saw Lampy peer down through the doorway.

"I'm fine!" He said at first, before pulling back in to marvel around the attic, "Fellas, do you know what this means? I'm _in the attic! _It worked! I _knew_ it!"

"I _told_ you; he's durable, like stone!" TV uttered, happy for them all.

"Well, fry my circuits," AC had to admit that he too was impressed, "They did it. They really did it. Good job."

"Only because _I_ was there..." Kirby muttered. AC heard.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Oh, shut off!"

"Say, why don't you guys join me?" Lampy had continued in his excitement, and without waiting for an answer, he lowered his cord to Toaster. "I'll reel you in!"

Enthusiastic, Toaster wound Lampy's cord around his lower midsection twice, then gripped onto the rest of it above. Without missing a beat, Lampy proceeded to pull Toaster inside, with little effort. Next, the two of them reeled in Radio, then Blanky, although he was hesitant at first. Although dark, they were able to see thanks to Lampy's light. Just in front of them was a boarded up window.

"This is it!" Toaster called, leading the four of them to it, immediately trying to tear off one of the boards, but it held fast. "C'mon, guys! Pull!" Even with all their efforts, it didn't budge.

"It's those darn nails!" Lampy realized, attempting to slide his prongs underneath one and yanking, only to find it ineffective.

"Why, we'd need a hammer for one of those!" Radio added.

"But where would we find a... Oh!" Toaster thought aloud at first, before remembering, "Kirby's supply closet!" Radio emitted a whistle.

"But how will we _ever _get that guy to let us borrow it?"

"Maybe if we ask really, _really_ nicely..." Blanky suggested. While somewhat doubtful, the others agreed to try.

Then, while in somewhat disbelief, it actually worked. Blanky taught the others the "Puppy Eyes" trick, which managed to make Kirby give in to their request, if only to make them stop "Looking so ridiculous", as he put it.

Kirby retrieved the hammer sporting a nail remover, lending it to TV, who carried it up to them with his cord. Lampy, due to his own being the longest, took the hammer into the attic. Then, with the combined precision of it and Radio's antenna, the two began to work at the nails on one of the boards.

It ended up taking so much effort, that they gave up after finally, _finally,_ pulling out that first board that revealed two fairly-sized holes - one near the bottom, another towards the top. The two of them lay on the floor on their backs, not wanting to move.

"I think that's good enough," Lampy panted from exhaustion.

"Yeah, I'd say it's a job well-done," Radio agreed, worked to the metaphorical bone. Toaster and Blanky came forward to have a look through the window, now that there was enough space between the boards.

"I think you two did great," He praised at first, before his tone turned disappointed. "... Oh."

""Oh"?" Lampy echoed, finding enough strength to sit up at least, "What's the matter? Is it not what we were hoping for?"

"No, the view is wonderful," Blanky chose to answer, though his tone was just as saddened. "Perfect, even. The problem is... They're already gone."

"What?!" At once, Lampy and Radio stood, racing over to the window, although they had to squeeze alongside Toaster and Blanky so that they'd all have a viewing spot. The two quickly drooped, Lampy especially. In fact, Lampy was first to turn away and hop off from the others, his eyes starting to water with a new sensation he'd never felt before.

"We took so long, _too_ long," He murmured in regret, "That we missed them leave. Kirby was right; this was stupid..." The others turned to face him, each carrying saddened expressions. They tried to approach him, in compassion.

"Lampy... It's okay," Blanky tried, his voice soft.

"Then why do I feel so _BAD?_" Lampy's voice cracked, now at a higher volume. He could feel tears leaking. "We could've just watched them leave from the main room. But, no; I wasted all our time, got us up here, unboarded that piece of wood, and all for what? _Nothing!_"

From below, Kirby, TV, and AC could hear it all. Kirby's face showed a tinge of guilt. TV's persona expressed sympathy. Even AC was moved, just enough for him to have nothing snarky to say.

"I ruined today, for everyone," They heard Lampy continue, his tone displaying a wounded ego, "I'm really sorry. Really I am..." Toaster wasn't about to stand for this. He beckoned Lampy over, leading him back to the window.

"Come here, let me show you something," He'd said calmly, the others stepping aside to let Lampy pass through, who had wiped at his eyes and shade to clear his tears. When both were viewing the window again, Toaster continued, his tone unchanging. "What do you notice about this view, compared to the one in the main room?"

"I... I can see more of the forest," Lampy answered, though in a depressed manner, "And the road, and the sky. But what does it matter, Toaster?"

"Out here, it's very quiet," Toaster began to reply, still calmly, "So if we were to hear anything approaching, say, a _car..._"

"We'd have the best chance of seeing it from up here, sure," Lampy finished for Toaster, but didn't seem to care. "But so what if we can?"

"Well, remember what I said," Toaster kept at it, "About the Master only being here in the Summer?" This time, Lampy only nodded. "Since _that's_ the case, Lampy... We may've missed them leave, but now, there's no way we'll be able to miss them _returning._" As though almost on cue, the other two came forward with them, speaking for their agreement.

"Now isn't _that_ the truth!" Radio commented, "Why, if we all worked together to build up that pile of yours, we'd make it up here _much_ faster than ever before!"

"And that board is gone now," Blanky added, "So, nothing will get in our way again! We'll all be alright!" From everything being said, something clicked for Lampy, feeling joy beginning to rise again, though it was bittersweet.

"But will it make up for this?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Really, there's no need to worry about that," Toaster replied in assurance, "You didn't ruin anything for anyone. In fact, I'd say that you've helped... Shed some light on this new idea. And, because of that, the hard part's been taken care of!" He hoped that, while not completely certain of the phrase, the usage of it would soothe Lampy's mind.

At first, Lampy's expression matched the initial stunned gaze given to Kirby earlier, leading Toaster to believe that he'd said the wrong thing. Then, Lampy's face turned warm, beaming even. Without warning, he used his cord to pull Toaster into an embrace, resting his head on top of Toaster's slotted chrome.

"Oh, if you say so," Lampy's voice was soft, but grateful as he added, "Thanks." Toaster was startled at first, taking a moment to process what was happening. It reminded him of that night, and with this in mind, Toaster returned the gesture with his levers.

"No problem," He said, reaching one lever up to pat Lampy on the head. Looking on, Blanky suddenly smiled in joy.

"He likes hugs!" He proclaimed, wasting not time in joining in. Both Lampy and Toaster uttered a small yelp, but found that they didn't mind, even laughing it off. Radio, not wanting to be left out even for something like this, came over to wind his antenna around as many as he could.

"You doing okay, buddy?" He asked, lightly as to not showcase too much emotion.

"Yeah, I think so," Lampy confirmed with ease, soon enough all of them pulling away, "Thanks again, fellas. You really pulled me out of that dark pit just then."

"It's no trouble at all," Blanky's reply was gentle. Then, he couldn't help but notice something. "How are we gonna get out of here?" A few moments passed, all of them coming to the same realization.

"Well, uh, we could, um..." Toaster struggled.

"To be honest," Lampy had to admit, thinking about it alongside Toaster, "I didn't really think about that, not really..." Meanwhile, Radio sauntered over to the doorway, calling down to Kirby. By this point, everyone below had found relief from the resolution of earlier.

"Hey, Baggy!" He started, without a trace of shame, "We accidentally got ourselves marooned up here! Would you perchance be able to climb up and help us get down?" Kirby looked up at him with an unimpressed gaze.

"Do I _have_ to?"

"Oh I get it, you're more of a "Catch 'em" sort of guy, aren't you? Well, isn't that an exciting turn of-" Radio cut off as he witnessed Kirby leap from the floor and onto TV's top.

"Watch the rabbit ears, son!" TV grunted, but knew it had to be done. While this was going on, Radio was joined by the other three, watching it unfold.

"Look everyone," AC remarked with a smug expression, "It's Kirby, the flying vacuum. He's here to save the day." Kirby merely grumbled and tried to ignore him.

"Alright, alright!" He made himself sound irritated, "Everybody out of the attic! _Now!_" So, one by one, the four small appliances exited the attic. As Lampy came out last, he went to follow suit, stopping when Kirby said something again. "Shut the _door._"

"Oh, right!" Lampy chuckled sheepishly, doing so before making his descent for real.

* * *

Everything had been put back to where it belonged at this point; the appliances, for the most part, were content in their yearly time of seclusion from the family. As Lampy hopped by, heading for the stairs, AC stopped him for a moment.

"Hey, lamp," He called, lightly, as Lampy faced him, "You doin' alright? No longer moping about ruining today?"

"Yeah, I'm doing fine," Lampy replied with a nod, "I'll admit, I didn't like how this happened, but I'm over it now."

"Oh, good," AC continued after, "Frankly, you probably thought it wouldn't be so difficult to reach that window up there, right?"

"Right! That's exactly it."

"See, and things happen sometimes. Obstacles show up. Things get in the way. Plans don't always work out the way you hoped. And you know something? Nothing is perfect, and that's okay." By this point, Lampy had faced AC entirely, putting himself in a sort of sitting position.

"Not even the Master?" He asked, perplexed by the notion. AC, at that, started to laugh, hard enough that Lampy started feeling his chilly breeze.

"Of course not!" AC tried to calm down. "He's just a kid, you know. He'll make mistakes. He'll find the wrong answers, reach for his toast too soon, scrape his knees outside, the works."

"And fall asleep while trying to read?" Lampy added.

"That too. But even so, he's gonna find those answers, overcome the pain, and take better responsibility. He's gonna learn from those mishaps, just like the rest of us, and just like you."

"Air Conditioner, I think you lost me. What're you trying to say?"

"All I'm trying to say is this," AC went for the point, "Every mistake is a chance to improve, so don't let any of them drag you down. You're a bright little lamp, and I like that about you; so don't let anything stop you from having ideas, no matter how ridiculous they might seem to others. You got that?"

At first, Lampy was taking it to heart, before stopping himself for a second. "This isn't one of those... Er, "Sarcastic" comments, is it? I really can't tell sometimes, but the others say that you do it a lot."

"No, this is real," AC said to dissipate any doubt in Lampy's mind, "I mean it this time. I know that I can be a bit cold, but even I know when to quit it." From this, Lampy gave him a warm smile.

"In that case, thank you very much," He began to stand up again, "Anything else you wanted to tell me? I was going to go upstairs for some light reading."

"Nah, that's all, I'm done..." Was AC's words at first, before he chuckled once more, "First day of that "Extended Vacation", and you're going to spend it _reading?_" To this, Lampy just made a shrugging gesture.

"I think that everyone needs time to themselves once in a while, I think." AC sighed a bit, in defeat.

"Right, of course. You got me there, Lampy. You got me there."

"Well, see you around!" With that, Lampy turned to hop away, before pausing. "Oh, and, thanks again - that felt nice to hear."

"Hey now, don't mention it," AC watched him leave, before muttering to himself, "Seriously. Don't."

Lampy didn't hear as he reached and hopped up the stairs.

The rest of the year followed, and with it came more experiences - rain, storms, snow, more rain, the whole bit. While the others were used to the weather changes, each one was new to Lampy, who got excited each time something different happened. However, trying to explain weather and the Sun to Lampy proved to be challenging.

Clouds were like a sponge, rain is the water in the sponge, so when the sponge has too much water soaked inside, the water falls out. Except, sponges don't disappear. None of them truly understood how some clouds were stormy and others weren't, so all they could say was that really dark clouds were "Charged with electricity", and that they're dark to contrast the lightning they give off. For snow, all they had to say was that it was "Really cold water", so cold that it solidifies into white flakes.

Finally, trying to explain things like the Sun and the Moon as celestial bodies was impossible. The literal only way they could make him understand was that the Sun was a "Really Big Lamp" who cannot be reached or talked to, and the Moon was a "Flying Rock" that one couldn't catch out of the sky. As for stars, they were more "Big Lamp"s, but extremely far away. Lampy bought all of these things.

As the temperature dropped around them and within the cottage, AC had kept his cooling function switched off, while the rest of the appliances made do with the cold months ahead.

It was around this time of year, around Autumn, where a few of them would venture outside the most - but not for long, usually. The reason was simple, yet practical - to hoard as much as they could to use for kindling in the cottage's fireplace. The family that would reside in the cottage during the Summer never had need of it; but the appliances, despite being as such, wouldn't have fared well in the Winter cold.

Even though it would've made sense to include Kirby in this type of work, he was most prone to the cold, for the rubber near his suction could chap and break apart. So instead, the few who could withstand it early on would file out and in with large (for their size, anyway) bags.

Pine needles and cones, sticks, unburied nuts - anything and everything they could use would be stuffed in them. Then, after a few careful sparks from a plug, a fire would be born. Lastly, an appliance would keep the fire controlled in shifts, day and night, unless of course some were gathered nearby it for whatever kind of activity they were involved in.

Speaking of activities, they had their ways of entertaining themselves. Many times they'd break out the board games and deck of cards, there were dance parties aplenty, and Radio and TV would entertain them with news stories, audio dramas, TV shows, among other things. Out of the both of them, the others could tell whos' were based on fact, or were fiction. Either way, neither were less enjoyable than the other.

The cold petered out, the warmth of Spring greeting them. The once deathly silent surroundings would start to liven up again as birds returned from the South, and woodland mammals ventured out of hibernation. Not that any of this really mattered to the appliances, though they could always admit that the lessening of the quiet was a welcome change. Finally, they no longer needed the fireplace, which was also a relief.

As the weather gave way to lots of rain, Lampy had expressed concerns of flooding. Thankfully, such a thing wasn't possible, due to the cottage's position on top of a hill. Nevertheless, the abundance of rain and overcast clouds presented what appeared to be gloomier days, although the more activity-oriented Radio and TV would have none of the "Ho hums". On rare occasions when the Sun came out, it was a sight to behold, especially during rain showers. Rainbows were deemed magical around these parts - something that was completely unexplainable.

As temperatures started to rise again, past Spring and Autumn's pocket, there came a day when AC's cooling functions were needed, once more. Having gone a long while without hearing the whirring of the unit, Lampy declared this as familiar, and started to grow excited. However, much to his dismay, he was told that it often got hotter earlier than when the Master and family were due to arrive.

Just a little longer. He, and the rest of them, continued their wait, each day more anticipated than the last. Just to help soothe Lampy's tension on the tower idea they'd agreed to use, they spent time building it for practice. During this, they used less objects, providing less needed to find and organize. Only the chair and the chest were necessary, the rest of the height being built up by TV, Kirby, Toaster, and Blanky. Any more appliances on top of the furniture was bound to make the tower structurally top-heavy, so Lampy and Radio stuck around on the floor. The only reason Kirby agreed to this was, as he tried to put it, "Just so it's easier to get this over with".

By this point, not even Lampy believed him. Blanky had been absolutely correct about Kirby.

They ended up getting quite good at reaching the attic, to the point where Radio started timing them. Their fastest record was 15.32 seconds. At last, Lampy felt assured that their plan would work, which eased the minds of everyone else. In the end, it was worth it for all of them.

* * *

One day, it finally happened. A car was heard in the distance, and with great practice, they formed the tower. Unlike when they'd practice, Blanky opened the attic door, and entered. He managed to crawl his way to the window, lifting himself high enough to see out of the bigger hole in the window they'd made almost a year ago. While nostalgic to Blanky, he didn't let himself get distracted.

Through the hills, a car started to emerge. It was yellow, with packed items on top of it. The car itself was unmistakable. Blanky could barely hold back his glee as he unleashed a loud yell, followed by a, "He's _BACK!_"

From below, he overheard joyous yells and cheers from his companions. A few moments more, he was finally able to break away from the sight. Blanky turned to crawl over to the attic door, but before he could, he spotted something in a nearby corner.

A wooden board, four nails, and a hammer. The memories flooded back to him, a few tears forming from happiness, taking the hammer on his way out. Upon seeing it, the others had more surprised reactions.

"Holy mother of Edison! I completely forgot that was up there!" Was Lampy's.


End file.
